Beware of bogus senior census survey

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Look carefully at any mail you get from the Census of Senior Citizens. It’s not the U.S. Census Bureau! The survey is bogus.

Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter has alerted older consumers to beware of a direct mail solicitation from this group. The mailer requests that recipients fill out a survey and provide their credit card information for “donations.” The reality is, this may be nothing more than a scam to obtain recipient’s credit card information.

“This mailer is devious because some people may mistakenly think it’s an official survey from the federal government,” Attorney General Steve Carter said. “Our senior population is particularly vulnerable to these types of solicitations because they take their civic duty seriously and might be less likely to question it.” The survey, titled “2007 Census of Senior Citizens,” purports to be from the “The Council of Seniors.” It says “you have been selected as a representative of your voting district to take part in the official Census of Senior Citizens.”

The “census” asks for your opinions on important issues, such as health care, immigration and taxes. The mailer claims that the survey “will make it crystal clear to our leaders in Washington what our priorities are” and “it’s the best way to build a strong and united agenda that accurately represents the views of senior citizens across America.”